I recently read a novel that was so good that I want to recommend it to you guys. It's called "The Exception" by Christian Jungersen. Apart from the fact that it was an amazing thriller set in the Copenhagen Denmark(fictional)Office for Genocide Studies, the book really showed how seemingly "nice" people are capable of the most despicably cruel behavior when they are in the workplace.

This book resonated greatly with me, and not only because I witnessed this type of behavior first hand working as a lawyer in New York City. One of the main reasons that I wrote "Monergy,' was to try and share the information I acquired to make the workplace a saner and more nutritious place to be. While going through many challenging experiences as a lawyer, I never dreamed that these same experiences would lead me to the energy needed to change my life, to write a book, to create a blog and share this information with all of you.

In this blog post, I want to share some of the observations I have made on how the workplace has caused such unnecessary emotional suffering and yes actual physical illness; and I also want to suggest some ways to cope with all of this.

If there is anything I have learned about human beings and energy, it is this: we are like sponges in that we absorb whatever energy is around us; this is why we have to be so careful what and who we surround ourselves with. If you don't yet buy this, just think about that friend of yours(we all have them) who thinks he or she is stupid because that's what they were told their whole life: they are really some of the most intelligent people you or I have met. And remember this: as much as anyone tries, it is impossible to separate or compartmentalize your life so that your business life doesn't affect your personal life; energy cannot be limited like that.

When we are young and fresh out of school, we don't always think we can pick and choose our first job because the "energy feels right." More often than not, we have financial and personal constraints(family obligations, school loans, car loans, etc) that dictate our choices. So for most of us, at one time or another, we are going to be exposed to a brutal form of energy in the workplace that could and does wreak havoc with our minds and bodies. When we have these experiences, we absorb this energy with different effects on our emotional/physical bodies. As a result, a certain amount of pain accompanied by a variety of "dis-eases" may occur.

People talk about genetic pre-disposition to certain diseases: I don't buy it- I have a different take on things: I think that whether or not we actually develop a particular "dis-ease" is (of course based upon energy absorption), and is more a factor of affinity, proximity, and frequency of association. That means that the value system and energy of the people we are closest to at work and home could be getting us sick, and we may not be consciously aware of it at all. In fact, some people develop "sympathetic dis-eases" that mirror the dis-eases of those they are close to. Also, there is almost always a certain emotional disharmony or imbalance in which "dis-eases" flourish. I truly believe that if someone is extremely strong, emotionally balanced,, and most importantly very aware, even faced with a torrent of sustained unhealthy energy , dis-ease need not occur.

We now live in a society in which each of us is never too far removed from either our own stresses or dis-eases, or those of our friends and loved ones. As I see it, there are three ways to deal with these life issues:

1. Medicate the pain away(the choice of increasing numbers of people)
2. Dull the pain with alcohol, drugs, overeating(and other distractions)
3. Find ways to identify and release the pain.

As you might have guessed, I favor choice number three. Choices one and two will never rid you of the underlying problem: they are temporary fixes. Choice number three is of course the most difficult, because it requires something in ever diminishing supply: honest self-reflection- and I mean really honest self-reflection. This may mean facing it squarely and digging deeply until you find the center, or the cause of this "dis-ease." No easy task for sure, but definitely worth the effort.

Here's how I see it: if there is any sense of entitlement in this life, this is it: Everyone has the right(and I think personal obligation too) to release the energy that may be causing a particular "dis-ease;" there is no reason on earth why anyone needs to walk around being controlled by past traumatic events, no matter how horrible. Release is available to each of us, but remember that releasing or letting go of these things is a process, just like anything else. And of course, everyone needs to find the perfect vehicle that accomplishes this release.

Hope that this gives you guys some things to think about, and as always I welcome your intelligent feedback.
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If there was ever a time for keeping your cool, this is it.

Let's put the current changes to our financial institutions in perspective. Don't let the headlines, the hype, the sad stories in the news control you. Remember, it is the quality of your energy, your sincerity, your purposefulness, that determines whether you can achieve what you want- THIS IS TRUE IN ALL TIMES, not just the officially designated "good times."

And let's not forget all the opportunities being created now because so many people are not staying calm. Of course, as in all times, great opportunities require a leap of faith, they require going into the unknown, ands in these times especially, they require rising above the fear that permeates us. English and Japanese financial institutions have already got bargain basement prices for parts of Lehman Brothers; Chase just got an amazing deal for Washington Mutual after making much higher offers over the last several months.

And Wachovia looks like it will be taken over by Citicorp or Wells Fargo and the second bailout looks like it is going to pass as this blog post is being written.

The same opportunities are manifesting for you and me on an individual basis: the prices for certain desirable things, like houses, condos, cars, art and other goodies will be quite negotiable for awhile. If we are smart, and can deal with the uncertainty, now is the time to buy. In fact, now is the greatest time to buy the things we really want, or to start or continue on the venture of our dreams...In certain respects, there has never been a better time than NOW.

Make no mistake about it, there are massive changes going on with our bedrock financial institutions. But that is nothing new and nothing to be afraid about. These institutions were reaping the rewards of their risky behavior for quite some time, and in a sense what is happening now is inevitable: It is balancing out their previous behavior, which was tainted by lots of greed that had become normal operating procedure for many institutions. We are very fortunate indeed because safeguards that were put into place after the great depression are actually working now- and believe it or not, the government has so far been doing a great job in dealing directly and promptly with the situation.

The American economy is fundamentally healthy and sound, because over the long haul it is dependent not on the unfortunate decisions of some greedy financial institutions, but on the drive, creativity and intelligence of the American people. There is nothing that I see that leads me to believe that these characteristics of the American people have been diminished; if anything people have become more workaholics than ever before in American history, and seem eager to be connected to their jobs 24/7.

When all the restructuring is complete(and I suspect more is to come),we will be faced with newly refurbished and fortified institutions that will work smoothly until the next cycle of excess hits us(10-15 years). And when the dust settles, many of the disgraced executives today will appear almost miraculously in about a year or more(freshly scrubbed or perhaps with a little nip/tuck) as heads of some of these newly formed or consolidated groups, just like our favorite TV actors suddenly appear a couple of years later on new shows after their old shows are cancelled.

Now that we have decided that there is nothing to be afraid about in the current situation, here are some tips on how to make this time(let's say the next 12 months) the best time ever in your life:

1. Try to eliminate or at least cut down on verbal complaints about "the economy."
2. If any friends or loved ones want to vent, be compassionate and show you care- a good way to do this is to listen and just say "I understand."
3. Project the most positive energy into all your endeavors. By doing this you get an extra energy boost at this time because so many people are so negative in an auto-pilot way. By being so positive with your life, you will attract extra good opportunities your way because you stand out so much more.
4. Always keep in mind that there is an abundant amount of money "out there," that people will always need food, shelter, basic and not so basic goods and services, and that you, and not the TV or newspaper headlines control your individual economy.
5. Enjoy this time because it will not be repeated.

Love to hear how you are doing with all this!
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We all grew up with many ideas thrust upon us, coming from family, friends, education and general life experience.

One of the most pervasive ideas that was floating around "back then" (and now too) is the notion that once certain things were achieved, and certain thresholds crossed, that one had a reasonable expectation of living "happily ever after." This idea was applied to the personal front(re marriage or finding the right person), the education front( if only I could get into the right school...) and the career front too(once I snag that job, all is well).

However true those ideas may have been(and I am not doubting that they had some validity in the 1950's...lol), the value of these ideas has been steadily eroding. I don't want to say that there is no validity left to achieving certain milestones in life, but the big difference between now and then is that now, resting on one's laurels has become the luxury of fewer and fewer people, and in some circumstances it can be downright dangerous.

This is because our society has now put its weight and full force behind the idea of constant change. That said, it becomes much more of a challenge for each of us to achieve a measure of happiness and balance in our waking moments But I definitely believe that it is not only possible, but that it has become one of the most important goals that we should seek.

I like to call this personal goal: "happily ever now." While it may sound simple, it's not always so easy to achieve amidst all the "apparent turmoil." By apparent turmoil, I mean the tumultuous nature of personal relationships these days; the volatility of the major markets(housing, stock and job). But "happily ever now" can be achieved in some surprising ways. It can be as simple as going down to the river to watch the sunset, or lingering over an especially good lunch, or not exposing yourself to so much gossip that often has a negative edge to it. It may also be achieved by throwing out the idea that tomorrow is always going to be better- it's today that we have and we better make the most of it, or it's our loss, nobody else's.

So while it's important to have long range goals that sometimes require small or great sacrifices, take some time during your day to look around and enjoy what your have right now- you might just start to feel better about everything.
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I recently came back to NYC from a vacation and was quite pleased to hear from a friend I haven't seen for awhile. She invited me to go join her Buddhist friends at an art museum dedicated to Tibetan art.

I had been to that museum before and thought it was great - so I ultimately agreed to go. I picked her up at her apartment in my jeep and we proceeded to the museum, which is located in lower Manhattan.

Now a little background on my friend: She considers herself to be very spiritual, which I think is generally a good thing (as compared to someone who denies that the spirit exists).

She has been to India many times, and is still a devotee of a well known Indian spiritual teacher. But she is human after all, like all of us. By her own admission, she used to be a compulsive shopper, and the last time she mentioned this problem, she indicated that it was under control.

I also know that she has been in a very volatile relationship with her boyfriend of five years, and according to her, it looks like things are going downhill. I only mention these things so you can appreciate what happened, so you can see the state of the world now through my eyes.

So we are driving in my car at about 7PM this last Friday and I am in a fine, peaceful mood, having had a really great time on this recent trip; it is a beautiful cool night and I am looking forward to meeting her new friends from the Buddhist center where she has been spending so much of her free time.

In the car, she starts telling me about this problem she is having with the local cleaner. For those not familiar with what many NYC residents do, it is quite common to send your laundry out to the local cleaners, which also doubles as a laundry facility. If the cleaners are good, they will pick up and deliver your laundry too. She was telling me how upset she was at her cleaners, because not only had they stopped picking up and delivering, but they had lost a chenille bathrobe of hers AND, to add insult to injury, claimed she still owed them about $43.00 too.

I could completely understand this, since something similar had happened to me several years ago; so I just switched cleaners at the time: Now I sometimes do my own laundry in the laundry room located in the basement of my apartment building.. I suggested this to her, first asking her if there were any other cleaners nearby that she could use.

She claimed that there weren't, and that the closest one was six blocks away, which would necessitate buying a shopping cart(that she didn't have room for). I then asked her if it was possible for her to do the laundry in her apartment building. She abruptly replied: "I'm not going to do my own laundry." It seemed that she was unsatisfied with this suggestion too.

I then turned to her and asked: "What would the Buddha do?" I wish you all could have been in that car, because you would think that I had initiated some type of torture to her by her response. I won't repeat here the things that she said, but suffice it to say that she wasn't pleased by my observation.

As you go through the moments of your life each day and you observe others' behavior as well as your own, it sometimes helps put things in perspective to ask "What would the Buddha do?"
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